Project Management

Communications
Houston, we have a problem….
Those words really got our
attention…

What type of problem do you think

they had?

What would you do?

How do you handle your project problems?

The ONLY
best way to solve project problems is by
WAY
communicating……

There is no other way……

Definition of Communication (1 of
2)
•The exchange of thoughts,
messages, or the like, as by speech,
signals or writing.

•To express oneself in such a way

that one is readily and clearly
understood.
Definition of Communication (2 of 2)

•Communication is shared
feelings/shared understanding.

•If you can honestly achieve that

goal, you are communicating.
Methods of Communication
One-Way
 Memo, fax, e-mail, voice mail, letter.

Two-Way
 Phone call, in-person.
Collaborative
 Team meetings, consulting,
consensus, decision making,
group problem solving.
Communication Advantages
• Increase productivity.
• Reduce stress.
• Better understand what others
are saying.
• Better understand how to get
your message across.
• Enhance relationships.
• Save time and money.
 The Communication Process

Sourc Encoding Channel Decoding Receiver

e

Feedbac
k
Communication Fundamentals
• Direction:
• Downward
• Upward
• Crosswise

• Networks:
• Formal vs. Informal
Communication Networks

Chain Wheel All Channels

Barriers to Effective
Communication

• Filtering
• Selective Perception
• Emotions
• Language
Key Communication Skills
• Listening Skills
• Feedback Skills
• Presentation skills
Fallacies about Listening
• Listening is not my problem!
• Listening and hearing are the same
• Good readers are good listeners
• Smarter people are better listeners
• Listening improves with age
• Learning not to listen
• Thinking about what we are going to say rather than listening to
a speaker
• Talking when we should be listening
• Hearing what we expect to hear rather than what is actually said
• Not paying attention
• Listening skills are difficult to learn
Stages of the Listening Process
• Hearing
• Focusing on the message
• Comprehending and interpreting
• Analyzing and Evaluating
• Responding
• Remembering
Barriers to Active Listening
• Environmental barriers
• Physiological barriers
• Psychological barriers
• Selective Listening
• Negative Listening Attitudes
• Personal Reactions
• Poor Motivation
 How to Be an Effective Listener
What You Think about Listening ?

• Understand the complexities of listening

• Prepare to listen
• Adjust to the situation
• Focus on ideas or key points
• Capitalize on the speed differential
• Organize material for learning
How to Be an Effective Listener
(cont.)
• What You Feel about Listening ?

• Want to listen
• Delay judgment
• Admit your biases
• Don’t tune out “dry” subjects
• Accept responsibility for understanding
• Encourage others to talk
How to Be an Effective Listener
(cont.)
What You Do about Listening ?

• Establish eye contact with the speaker

• Take notes effectively
• Be a physically involved listener
• Avoid negative mannerisms
• Exercise your listening muscles
• Follow the Golden Rule
Feedback Skills
• Positive vs. Negative Feedback
• Positive feedback is more readily and accurately
perceived than negative feedback
• Positive feedback fits what most people wish to hear and
already believe about themselves
• Negative feedback is most likely to be accepted when it
comes from a credible source if it is objective in form
• Subjective impressions carry weight only when they
come from a person with high status and credibility
Developing Effective Feedback
Skills
Focus on specific behaviors
• Keep feedback impersonal
• Keep feedback goal oriented
• Make feedback well timed
• Ensure understanding
• Direct feedback toward behaviour that is
controllable by the recipient
Presentation Skills
• Ideas, concepts or issues talked about or spoken to
a group or audience

• Public speaking is one of the most feared things

“I could make such a fool of myself”

• Skills required to give a good presentation can be

developed
Preparation is the Key
 Presentation Skills
• Preparation/ Planning is the first step on the ladder to
success

• Aspects in the development of a good presentation

• Self Centered (Self)
• Audience Centered (Audience)
• Subject Centered (Material)

• “I want (who) to (what) (where, when and how)

• because (why)”
28% of projects fail due to poor
communications

Results based on a Jan 2007 poll of 1,007 respondents (PMI Net July 2007 page 19)
Top reasons why projects fail
Survey Results

1. Poor Communication 28.0%

2. Insufficient resource planning 18.0%

3. Unrealistic schedules 13.2

4. Poor project requirements %

9.8%
5. Lack of stakeholders buy-in 6.7%
6. Undefined success/closure 5.2%
criteria 4.8%
7. Unrealistic budgets 4.4%
8. Insufficient or no risk planning 4.3%
9. Lack of control/change process
Results based on a Jan 2007 poll of 1,007 respondents (PMI Net July 2007 page 19)
What is Project
Communication
• Exchange of Project-specific information
What’s in it for you?
Three reasons you need to manage project
communication
• Meet the information needs of your
project stakeholders (Communication Planning and
Information Distribution)
• Track and report on project
performance (Performance Reporting)
• Formally document project results
(Administrative Closure)
Core Concepts of Project Communications
Project Communication Management
Communication Information
Planning Distribution

Initiating
Initiating Planning
Planning Executing
Executing
Processes
Processes Processes
Processes Processes
Processes

View Project
Communication in Administrativ
Controlling
Controlling e Closure
the context of the Processes
Processes
five PM process Closing
Performance Closing
groups. Reporting
Processes
Processes
Project
Communications
Management Summary
 Communication Planning

“Develop a project Communication Plan for every project”

Communication Planning
• Inputs
– Project Charter and Work Breakdown Structure
Product List
• Process
– Identify stakeholders and their information needs
– Identify WBS Products
– Complete Project Communication Plans
• Outputs
– Project Communication Plan
– Conflict Management Plan
 Communication Management Plan

Section # Description
Section 1 Project Communication Plan
Section 2 Project Organization Chart
Section 3 Project Communication Requirements Matrix
Section 4 People Report Matrix
Section 5 Timeframe
Section 6 Lessons Learned
Project Communication Plan
• Identifies the project team
• Explains methods of communication
including community involvement
• Provides project reporting information
• Stakeholders analysis
• Communication Matrix
Communication Requirements Matrix

Stakeholder
Team Member/Tool Project Manager Team Members
/Customer(Internal)

Communicates project
Receives and
status, risks, budget, and
Project Manager ongoing project
communicates project
information
information

Stakeholder
Feedback/Issues/Concerns Project Specific details
/Customer(Internal)

Specific project details

Team Members Updated project information
where applicable
 ROLE REPORT MATRIX
People (Who
receive what Name On Demand Weekly Monthly
Report)

Status & Cost

CEO/CFO GMA
Reports
Variance Report

Status & Cost

Owner Angelo Reyes
Reports
Status Reports

Stakeholder Gen. Garcia Stakeholder Report Status Reports

Risk Manager Col. Rabusa Risk Report Status Reports

Media H. Mendoza Media Report

Note: Focus on Timing of Report and who is getting what Report.

 Project Communication Plan Example
Groups/ Individuals
Type of Communication Frequency Purpose
involved

Provide updates on
Project Manager to Programme Board progress of
Weekly
Programme Board Meeting deliverables and risks
and issues

Discussion on key items

Project Manager to Project Management
Weekly from the Highlight
Programme Board Report
Reports as required.

Provide updates on
Weekly dependent
Project Manager and progress of
Checkpoint Report on tasks
Workstream Leads deliverables and risks
delivered
and issues

Review progress and

Project Manager and
Team Meeting Weekly status of risks and
Workstream Leads
issues
Project Communication Plan Example
Conflict Management Plan
• Provides guidelines for resolving conflicts
during the life of a project
• Developed with project stakeholders
• Record decisions made
• Design interest-based conflict
management strategies with stakeholders,
not for them
Information Distribution
How often do you send information?

What meeting cadence do use?

How much volume is being sent or received?

Information Distribution
• Communication skills are used to exchange project
information
– Senders are responsible for ensuring messages are clear
and understood
• Project team members are suppliers and customers
– Suppliers provide inputs
– Task managers deliver WBS elements
– Customers receive the products
• Track product deliverables with the Communication
Matrix
What Project Team Members
Need to know
• If you are working on a project, you need to know:
– Why your customers want your product
– What features your customers want
– How your customers want to receive it
– How long it will take
• Tell your customers exactly when deliverables will
arrive - extremely important for critical path
elements
• Project Team members ensure successful product
delivery
Distributing Information in an
Effective and Timely Manner
 Don’t bury crucial information

 Don’t be afraid to report bad information

 Oral communication via meetings and informal talks helps

bring important information—good and bad—out into the
open
Importance of Face-to-Face
Communication
 Research says that in a face-to-face interaction:
 58 percent of communication is through body language
 35 percent of communication is through how the words are
said
 7 percent of communication is through the content or
words that are spoken
 Pay attention to more than just the actual words someone is
saying
 A person’s tone of voice and body language say a lot about
how he or she really feels
Determining the Number of
Communications Channels
 As the number of people involved increases, the complexity
of communications increases because there are more
communications channels or pathways through which people
can communicate

 Number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2

where n is the number of people involved

 Communication Links
Number of
Links = n(n-1)/2

50 Emails =
1200 Links

 It is critical to understand when crafting your messages,

that you are speaking to a much larger audience then you
would ever anticipate.

 Ensure messages are clear and to the point, or they will be

“lost” as they are repeated from person to person.
Performance Reporting
• Status Reporting
– Where the project stands at a given point
• Progress Reports/Work Results
– What the project team has accomplished to date
• Change Requests
– Analysis may result in request for a change
• Important to keep work plans and project
databases current for accurate project reporting
Administrative Closure
Each project phase requires closure

• Close-out Processes - Verify and document

project results
• Uniform Filing Systems
– Project Development and Construction maintain
permanent history files
• Lessons Learned - Provide feedback to
continuously improve Project Delivery
Managing Stakeholders
 Project managers must understand and work with
various stakeholders

 Need to devise a way to identify and resolve issues

 Two important tools include:

 Expectations management matrix

 Issue log
Expectations Management Matrix
Issue Log
Core Project Management Tools
• Project Charter
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Project Schedule
• Project Budget
Project Charter
• What must be done?
– What are the required resources?
– What are the constraints?
– What are the short and long term implications?
• Why do it?
• When must it be done?
• Where must it be done?
• Who does what?
– Who is behind the project?
– Who is funding the project?
– Who is performing the work of the project?
Project Charter
• Who
• What
• Where
• Why
• When
Project Charter
• Project Goal & • Decision making
Objective • Assumptions
• Sponsor • Risks
• Stakeholders • Business process
• Timeline changes
• Resources required • Project manager
• Deliverables • Project team
• Budget
• Signatures
Assumptions
• Opportunity to put it all out there
– Challenges facing the project
– Implications
– Organizational history
– Political implications
– Impact to traditional power
– Requirements of decision-making
• Write down what cannot be said
– Keep it objective
Work Breakdown Structure
• Identify the major task categories
• Identify sub-tasks, and sub-sub-tasks
• Use verb-noun to imply action to
something
– Example: Getting up in the morning
• Hit snooze button
• Hit snooze button again
• Get outa bed
• Avoid dog
• Go to bathroom…
 Work Breakdown Structure
Canoe Trip to
Boundary Waters

Arrange Travel Get Equipment Plan Meals Prepare Budget Plan for
Plan Activities
Emergencies

Schedule Flights to Mpls Contact BW Outfitter Bring cooking gear Assign Budget Person Obtain
Bring Cards
emerg. #’s

Rent Van Freeze dry food Get deposits Arrange Bring

Rent canoes
contact at BW Joke book

Arrange Motel Prepare 7

Retain Receipts Bring
Rent Tents
breakfasts
Bring scotch
emerg. flares

Schedule return flights Bring Pay for supplies Bring two

Prepare 7 lunches
Sleeping Bags first aid kits

Bring
Prepare 6 dinners Close-out trip
Fishing Gear

Bring lights and

waterproof
matches
 Work Breakdown Structure
Canoe Trip to
Boundary Waters

Arrange Travel Get Equipment Plan Meals Prepare Budget Plan for
Plan Activities
Emergencies

Schedule Flights to Mpls Contact BW Outfitter Bring cooking gear Assign Budget Person Obtain
Bring Cards
emerg. #’s

Rent Van Freeze dry food Get deposits Arrange Bring

Rent canoes
contact at BW Joke book

Arrange Motel Prepare 7

Retain Receipts Bring
Rent Tents
breakfasts
Bring scotch
emerg. flares

Schedule return flights Bring Pay for supplies Bring two

Prepare 7 lunches
Sleeping Bags first aid kits

Bring
Prepare 6 dinners Close-out trip
Fishing Gear

Bring lights and

waterproof
matches
 Work Breakdown Structure
Canoe Trip to
Boundary Waters

Arrange Travel Get Equipment Plan Meals Prepare Budget Plan for
Plan Activities
Emergencies

Schedule Flights to Mpls Contact BW Outfitter Bring cooking gear Assign Budget Person Obtain
Bring Cards
emerg. #’s

Rent Van Freeze dry food Get deposits Arrange Bring

Rent canoes
contact at BW Joke book

Arrange Motel Prepare 7

Retain Receipts Bring
Rent Tents
breakfasts
Bring scotch
emerg. flares

Schedule return flights Bring Pay for supplies Bring two

Prepare 7 lunches
Sleeping Bags first aid kits

Bring
Prepare 6 dinners Close-out trip
Fishing Gear

Bring lights and

waterproof
matches
 Work Breakdown Structure
Canoe Trip to
Boundary Waters

Arrange Travel Get Equipment Plan Meals Prepare Budget Plan for
Plan Activities
Emergencies

Schedule Flights to Mpls Contact BW Outfitter Bring cooking gear Assign Budget Person Obtain
Bring Cards
emerg. #’s

Rent Van Freeze dry food Get deposits Arrange Bring

Rent canoes
contact at BW Joke book

Arrange Motel Prepare 7

Retain Receipts Bring
Rent Tents
breakfasts
Bring scotch
emerg. flares

Schedule return flights Bring Pay for supplies Bring two

Prepare 7 lunches
Sleeping Bags first aid kits

Bring
Prepare 6 dinners Close-out trip
Fishing Gear

Bring lights and

waterproof
matches
Work Breakdown Structure

System Hardware Replacement

RFP Development Vendor Selection Staff Training Hardware Implementation

Needs Assessment Research Vendors Identify training Plan Schedule Installation

Needs Analysis Research Sites Schedule Training Prepare Site

Write RFP Select Vendors to mail RFP Train Arrange Vendor Support

Finalize with Purchasing Review Proposals Configure System

Rank Proposals Install System

Recommendation
Work Breakdown Structure

System Hardware Replacement

RFP Development Vendor Selection Staff Training Hardware Implementation

Assess Needs Research Vendors Identify training Plan Schedule Installation

Analyze Needs Research Sites Schedule Training Prepare Site

Write RFP Select Vendors to mail RFP Train Sysadmins Arrange Vendor Support

Finalize with Purchasing Review Proposals Configure System

Rank Proposals Install System

Make Recommendations
Project Schedule Tools
• Many tools available
– Microsoft Project
– Many more specialized software
– www.dotproject.net
– Excel
• Most important
– Monitor tasks
– Gantt views of project
• one page views for executives
• rollout and more complex views for work teams
– Critical Paths
– Inputs from multiple teams that roll up to project manager
– Dependencies
– Resources assigned to tasks
Project Schedule
Project Budget
• Direct Costs
• Indirect Costs
• Ongoing costs
 Project Budget
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
• Direct Costs • Indirect Costs
– Hardware – Your people’s time
– Software and effort
– Contractor fees • Estimated time on
• Estimated hours project
• Hourly Rates per
contractor • Estimated cost
• Various contractor based on hourly
rates rate
– Training – Other’s time and
– Fanfare effort
– Other – Opportunity cost
• What projects or
TOTALS tasks are NOT
going to get done in
order to get this
project done?
Meeting Management
• Develop Ground Rules early
– Assign facilitator
– Assign reporter and reporting structure
– Start and end times, frequency of meetings
– Frequency of meetings
– Focus of meetings
• Information sharing?
• Agenda building
• Issues for substantive discussion
Suggested Ground Rules for
Meetings
• Start/end times are real
• Agree to debate issues, not people
• Civility required
• Confidentiality?
• Reporting out
– What is going to be reported
– What isn’t
• Agree to bring all issues to the table
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Tank: a person who dominates a discussion
or issue by brute force of personality. When they
present, they speak as an authority. When dealing
with a project and defining new solutions, these
types of people can be destructive to the process
of open discussion and consideration of
alternatives.
– Solution: thank them for their opinion, then ask if there
are some other perspectives from other team members.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Grenade: The conversation will be going
along fine and all of the sudden, a team member
lobs out a discussion-ending comment.
– Solution: Address the comment head on and suggest
that the grenade thrower refrain from comments that
will upend conversation of alternatives.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Maybe Person: This is the person who
cannot commit to any position or issue.
They take refuge in ambiguity.
– Solution: On a project team, you need to help
them commit. Give them simple alternatives
and ask them to decide.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The No Person: This is your general naysayer.
Nothing will work, no matter what.
– Solution: Help to see that no is not an option.
Define the alternatives.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Sniper: This is a destructive force in a
team. The Sniper tenders up negative comments
within the team that negate or attack ideas.
– Solution: address the behavior immediately and let
them know that comments like that are
unacceptable based on team norms.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Yes Person: While less negative, this person is
so agreeable that they negate their influence through
a lack of objective analysis. They are more eager to
please than they are to offer objective alternatives.
– Solution: Point out that you appreciate their positive
outlook, but they need to explore options more thoroughly
if they want to gain credibility with the group.
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The Traitor: Team member speaks very little in
meetings, or sometimes disagrees, and spends
times out of meetings lobbying for alternative
positions or arguing decisions made by the team
– Solution: Establish team rules early that state that
issues are dealt with in team meetings and this
behavior is not acceptable. When it is uncovered,
PM addresses it in the meeting or, if necessary, in
private
Destructive Team Member
Profiles
• The End Arounder: Team member who goes
around team and PM to another supervisor or
administrator and complains, lobbies or takes
alternative positions to team.
– Solution: Identify the behavior in team development
and make it known it is not acceptable. Get all
administrators and supervisors to suppress the
behavior if it occurs. PM should call it when it’s
seen and the Project Sponsor should nip it in bud.
Suggestions for Improving
Project Communications
 Manage conflicts effectively

 Develop better communication skills

 Run effective meetings

 Use e-mail and other technologies effectively

 Use templates for project communications

Conflict Handling Modes
1. Confrontation: directly face a conflict using a
problem-solving approach
2. Compromise: use a give-and-take approach
3. Smoothing: de-emphasize areas of difference and
emphasize areas of agreement
4. Forcing: the win-lose approach
5. Withdrawal: retreat or withdraw from an actual or
potential disagreement
Conflict Can Be Good
 Conflict often produces important results, such as
new ideas, better alternatives, and motivation to
work harder and more collaboratively

 Groupthink: conformance to the values or ethical

standards of a group; groupthink can develop if
there are no conflicting viewpoints

 Research suggests that task-related conflict often

improves team performance, but emotional conflict
often depresses team performance
Running Effective Meetings
 Determine if a meeting can be avoided
 Define the purpose and intended outcome of the
meeting
 Determine who should attend the meeting
 Provide an agenda to participants before the
meeting
 Prepare handouts and visual aids, and make
logistical arrangements ahead of time
 Run the meeting professionally
 Build relationships
Using E-Mail, Instant Messaging, and
Collaborative Tools Effectively
 Make sure that e-mail, instant messaging, or
collaborative tools are an appropriate medium for
what you want to communicate

 Be sure to send information to the right people

 Use meaningful subject lines and limit the content

of emails to one main subject, and be as clear and
concise as possible

 Be sure to authorize the right people to share and

edit your collaborative documents
Using Templates for Project
Communications
 Many technical people are afraid to ask for help
 Providing examples and templates for project
communications saves time and money

 Organizations can develop their own templates, use

some provided by outside organizations, or use
samples from textbooks

 Recall that research shows that companies that excel

in project management make effective use of
templates
Sample Template for a Project Description
Sample Template for a Monthly
Progress Report
Final Project
Documentation Items
Lessons Learned Reports
 The project manager and project team members
should each prepare a lessons-learned report

 A reflective statement that documents important

things an individual learned from working on the
project

 The project manager often combines information

from all of the lessons-learned reports into a
project summary report
Project Archives
• It is also important to organize and prepare
project archives
• Project archives are a complete set of
organized project records that provide an
accurate history of the project
• These archives can provide valuable
information for future projects as well
Using Software to Assist in
Project Communications
 There are many software tools to aid in project
communications

 Today, many people telecommute or work remotely

at least part-time

 Project management software includes new

capabilities to enhance virtual communications

 New tools, such as instant messaging and blogs, can

enhance project communications
Microsoft Office Enterprise Project
Management (EPM) Solution
Mission Accomplished!!